Hey yall, I got my 2000 Se auto a few months back with 45,000 miles on it from a dealer auction. All i know is a lady had it for 3 years on a lease and she lived in New York. When i got my oil changed at quick lube, they said that the transmission fluid was suppposed to be changed at 30,000 miles and it was never done so i let them do it. I don't know if she had any service or anything done to the car so i wanted to know what would you guys suggest that i do such as Engine flushing and fuel induction or changing spark plugs to make sure my engine hasn't lost any power or that im getting great gas mileage? How regularly should i get such services done? I have about 55,000 miles on it now. I'm 18 and this is my first car so please help because after i pay it off i want it to run for awhile.
Thanks alot for helping an inexperienced max owner!!

 

http://www.nissanusa.com/form/0,,act...-51041,00.html

 

I recommend cleaning the throttle body, changing the PCV valve, checking/changing the air filter, and maybe changing the fuel filter (it's a pain for the inexperienced I think; never done it myself, but it involves removing the fuel pump below the rear seats), maybe change the plugs at 60K miles and use the NGK double-tipped Platinum OEM plugs. The plugs are "supposed" to last to 100K miles, but changing them at 60K should be better since they'll be very stuck after 100K...

 

How bad was the oil? If there wasn't much service you might want to run some new oil through it every couple thousand miles to help clean it out. Ditto on what spirilis said. 18 with a newer max.... man when I was 18 I was driving a POS 1970 something Audi 100. You take care of it and it will last.

 

I have done this, and its easy. You just have to be patient and work "slow" as you are dealing with fuel. I think I have found every "hard" part to it. If you can successfully change out your entire intake, then you should be able change your FF. Only hard part is "squeezing" the disconnects on the filter removal from pump assembly. My fingers are to short and getting pliers in was a puzzle solving process.

BTW, my FF was disgusting. It was "Sludgy". Meaning that when fuel moves around, it has the properties of "water" (to a certain extent). The fuel I could see in my FF was more like Vodka taken out of the freezer. Sluggish to move. My Mileage has increased dramatically (about 3-4 per gallon. So now I am back to around 27 MPG.

Also change those plugs by 60K. Since Nissans "Lifetime" filter needed changed at 28K (only 93 Premium in it) I dont trust their "gauge" for useful life of their other parts.

Good Luck!

 

hehe...i get similar responses when people see my max...they're just jealous...take care of it and it will take care of you...btw im 17

 

I am 18 and i had my 2k2 for a 1.5 year:-) Pay for it myself!

 

there are tons of us out there we are not that special

 

i have an 02 with 33k on it now... what are the main things i need to do for maintence.. the dealer gave me a brochure but 75% of the recommened things seem unneccessary...

 

if you clicked the link in the second post you'd see it

http://www.nissanusa.com/form/0,,act...-51041,00.html

 

My $.02. For starters, relax. General maintenance is intended to prolong the life of your car, not make it live up to its minimum life span. General maintenance is also relatively easy on cars. Oil changes take you as long as it does to wait at the Jiffy Lube (or whatever place you use) which is why I change my own oil (not to save money, just to simply get it done when I want). There are other items that are equally as easy to do. Usually its a matter of what you feel up to and what you feel makes the best sense of your time.

Manual Transmission fluid is equally as easy and I do this on my cars. Auto Transmission fluid I leave to others as it involves too many other moving parts (filters, etc.) but you could do it yourself. These cars are set up for easy maintenance. Nissan, just like all the other manufacturers, don't want their service departments tied up in general maintenance. Ask the guys who did your A/T transmission how they knew the fluid needed to be changed. Chances are they simply bet that you didn't know and preyed on a little fear. Don't beat them up over it as they would get their asses kicked big time if they forgot to ask you (and that would likely be you not someone else kicking them).

Your owner's manual lists the general maintenance items. If you want a more detailed list you can ask your local Nissan service center for their service interval checklist. This will go into gory detail (e.g. lube doors, check fluid levels, etc.). This is a good list to have as it reminds you about things you might miss.

 

Anyone have a thread or how-to on changing fuel filter on a 2000?

 

There was a thread awhile back discussing how to get at the fuel pump to replace the filter. I would try a search.